Blow-out preventer



Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,247

J. S. ABERCROMBIE ET AL BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed April l4 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .IAMES 5.- WWW mm may 5. CAMERON,

Jan. 12 ,1926.- y

, J. S. ABERCROMBlE-ET AL BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed April 14. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gjvwew fow -HIUYYNHAH a n 4 TAME3 5. ABEKBRDMBIE.

- To all whom it may concern:

preventer of Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PAT nuns s. mncnomam Ann HARRY s. CAMERON,

OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

snow-our rnnvpnmit.

. Application filed April- 14, 1922. "serial No. 552,522.

Be it known that'we, JAMES S. ABER- OROMBIE and HARRYS.-CAMERON, citizens of the United States, residing at Houston,jHarris County, Texas,w have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Blow-Out Preventers, of which the following is a full, clear, 'andvexact descriptiomfsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap ertains to make and use the'same.

ur invention relates to blow-out pre venters for use in the process of drilling deep wells for oil, gas, sulfur, etc.

The object of our. invention is to provide a device designed to .be secured to the top' of the casing while the drilling is being done and which will be adapted to be closed tightly about the drill stem when necessary,

shutoff all outlet of casing to the air when so dem such manner-as to fluid from the sired;

Another object is to .provide a blow-out the kind described, which 'will be composed of a minimum number of parts of simple and rugged construction. 1

Other objects and advantages of this construction will appear more clearly in the v mor edetailed description thereof which fol "lows 30.

Referring to the drawings her with, wherein like numerals of reference -ar a plied to like parts in". each of theviewsdFi g.

. 1 is a side elevation of our invention showmg part of the same in central vertical sec- 35 tion. Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof showing one half in central horizontal section, and also showing the addition of valve in-the side outlet.

Our invention is adapted for use in preventing gas blow-outs during the drilling operations. It is customary in drilling to provide the well with casing. to sustainthe side walls of the hole.

bottom of the hole through the upper end of the casing. The drill stem is materially smaller than the easthrough which it works, and it sometimes happens during the drilling that the pressure of the gas in the hole becomes so great that it starts up through the *rising current of mud used to flush out the cuttings from the well, and when once started, will blow the mud from the hole with great violence and will very often result in ruini ng the well.

. drilling of the inner face the working of the drill stem. The upperend of this passage is threaded at 5 for attachment for a 'stufling box or such other device as may be necessary in'pumping the well when the same is completed. In the well however, a flared nipple 6 may be seated therein to protect the coupling or housing and-to guide the drill into the casing. p

The passage 4 through the coupling comprising the housing for our blow-out preventer, may be closed by two opposite gates or valves-one on each side of the said housing. Each of these valves, shown-at 7, comprlsesa cylindrical plunger adapted to work in a horizontal chamber 8 extending later-. ally at right angles'to the axis of the central passage 4. The housing 9 for the said plung-. er valves 7 is cylindrical and is closed at its outer ends by means of nuts 10. Each nut 10 is threaded into the end of the said housing and has a central passa e 11 therethrough for avalve stem 12 adapted to rotate in said passage. The valve stem 12 is squared at 13 to provide attachment for a wrench .or crank in the rotation thereof. Midwa of the ends of this valve stem we have a" aterally extending flange 14 adapted to ,fit within a countersunkv recess 315 in'the' of the-nut. A; retaining ring or nut 16 is secured withinthe said recess be hind the flange and holds the same against longitudinal movement in itsseat. The inhe interior of the said plunger is hollowed at 19 to allow movement of the plunger on the valve stem or shaft 12 as will be obvious. 0

The inner face of the nut 10 is recessed or countersunk at 20 to allow movement 6f the plunger outwardly. The shaft or valve stem 12 maintains atight fit with the nut 10 sible. Y 1

The inner face of each plunger portion ofl nor end' 17 of the valve stem is threaded for engagement at 18 Within the plunger (valve. The. drill stem and T means of a stufling' box 21 of ordinary k the keyway 'adapted to close ,m an obvious manner.

the valve is provided with a semi-cylindrical recess 22 arranged vertically relative to the said plunger so as to fit about the sides of the drill stem. The said valve is held againstiotation, slidably in said housing, through the key26 in the plunger fitting in 27 in the inner face of the housing. It will be obvious that the plunger portion of the valve will be recessed on its face to fit the particular size of drill stem that is being used and any kind of packing or other well known means may be used to preserve a tight fit between the plunger and the walls of the housing and also between the plunger and the drill stem as may be desired. A ground joint is usually adopted, however. At each side of the said recess the fiat faces of the plungers contact at 24 to complete the closure of the passage 4:.

As shown in the drawing,

the passage about the drill stem and each is identical with the other. When it is desired to close the passage about the drill stem due to apprehension as to es-' cape of gas, the drill from rotatin vanced tight y against the drill stem by rotating the valve stem or shaft 12 in such manner as to advance theplunger portion 7 thereon against the drill stem. A

We have also shown on the side of the coupling 2, below .the valves 7 a lateral outlet 23. This outlet is fitted with an outlet pipe leading to some container, not shown. It may be closed by a hand valve 25 therein When danger of blowout arises the plunger valves will be closed about the drill stem and the valve 25 also set in closed position. The escape of stem will be stopped before.

the valves are and the two valves will be ad-.

gas or mud under pressure from the .well outside the drill stem will be thus prevented. The mud pumps may t @111 be" worked to force mud down thfi'dllll stem until the danger of blowout is overcome due to mud pressure. The drilling may then proceed as The advantages of our invention lie in its simplicity and strength. There are only a few, strong parts and these are quickly and positively operated. The escape of gas from the casing may be quickly and easily prevented by the simple manipulation of the plunger valves. The cylindrical valves 7 are under pressure forced to fit most tightly thus providing against leakage.

Having thus described our invention, we claim is new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a blow-out preventer for oil wells, a housing adapted for attachment 'at the upper end of the well casing, laterally extending opposite cylinders on' said housing, cylindrical valves therein, nuts closing the outer ends of said cylinders, valve stems held against axial movement in said nuts and having a threaded engagement with said valves, means to prevent rotation of said valves, said valves being formed with semicylindrical forward faces, to fit about the drill stem and close the'passage between said drill stem and the inner walls of said housmg.

In testimony our signatures A. D. 1922. v

whereof, we hereunto ai'fix this the 5th day of April,

JAMES s. ABERCROMBIE.

HARRYS. CAMERON.

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